Americans delight in making private moments public. Witness the success of America's Funniest Home Videos, which has been called "the hottest show on TV." But the succession of gags and goofs surrounding birthdays and family outings is tepid fare compared with the truly incendiary movies viewers are making for home consumption only. The subject? Their sex lives. Propping their camcorders and dropping their inhibitions, more and more couples are videotaping their closest encounters. Rob Lowe, it seems, is not alone.
Do-it-yourself dirty pictures are an old, if not exactly honored pastime. But technological advances have repeatedly changed the nature and allure...